Medical marijuana
The Signal Hill City Council voted in unity during the Jan. 26 meeting to approve measures prohibiting the distribution and cultivation of medical marijuana within Signal Hill city limits in accordance with federal law.
Amendment 15-06 and Zoning Ordinance Amendment 15-03 explicitly disallow both facilities and delivery services that would make medical marijuana accessible to Signal Hill residents who have been approved for medical cannabis use.
Despite the adoption of both amendments, a resident-designed petition will soon be circulating throughout the Signal Hill community in attempts to override the measures. Resident Jeffrey Leroy Benson, in conjunction with the Signal Hill Patients Access PAC, submitted a notice of intent to circulate a petition for initiative to allow cultivation and distribution facilities within city limits.
In response to the notice, City Manager Charlie Honeycutt presented a slideshow to the council that outlines the legalities of medical marijuana under federal law, the specifics of the petition itself, which areas of town would be most affected by new potential facilities, and what would be needed from residents to make the petition’s measures reality.
Honeycutt was very clear in noting that aspects of the petition could be interpreted as encouraging the council and Signal Hill police officers to aid and abet in federal crime, leaving them vulnerable to federal prosecution.
Signal Hill Mayor Larry Forester said the intersection of federal and state law is debated throughout California governments, as “no one truly understands what we can and can’t do.”
The petition requires 10 percent of the residents, or about 640 individuals, to sign to either get the petition on a ballot for general vote or have the council adopt and enact the listed measures.
In the event of a special election needing to be held to uphold the 103-day timeframe for voting upon an approved petition, it is estimated that roughly $35,000 would be needed to fund the election.
City attorney absences
During the “new business” forum in session, Councilmember Edward Wilson called upon City Attorney Dave Aleshire to explain why, in the face of the council voting to move meeting dates to accommodate Aleshire’s schedule, he was absent for three consecutive meetings spanning the end of 2015 to the start of 2016.
“It is incumbent upon you to be here,” Wilson said. He continued to say that he felt Aleshire’s absences reflected an opinion Aleshire holds of Signal Hill as a “second-class city.”
Aleshire was quick to respond, informing both Wilson and the council at large that his personal emergencies do not need to be brought to the public eye to justify so few absences in terms of his self-proclaimed “exceptional” 30-year history with the City, nor does the proximity of his few absences constitute a pattern of disrespect.
“[Wilson’s behavior] is not polite or civil,” said Aleshire. “I am very disappointed.”
Wilson continued on with his questioning, despite Forester repeatedly calling him out of order with his standing authority and attempting to move the conversation on to different topics.
“You don’t have the right to do that,” said Wilson in response to Forester’s request for him to end the discussion.
After minutes of further comments from Wilson, Aleshire tried to end the discussion once and for all.
“I am happy to offer my resignation as city attorney,” he said.
Both Vice Mayor Lori Woods and Councilmember Tina Hansen entered the discussion at that point, making it known that nobody was calling for a resignation, nor would the majority of the council accept such a resignation.
“This is not the kind of council we are,” Hansen said.
She then posed the question of what constitutes “new business” that can be brought to the floor in good faith and asked that City staff look into the definition to potentially prevent a repeat of the incident.
Wireless telecommunications
In a 5-0 affirmative vote, the council authorized the adoption of an urgency ordinance to establish legal regulations for potential wireless telecommunications facilities that could be constructed in public right-of-way.
As current law stands, failure on the City’s end to either confirm or deny application requests for such facilities in a timely manner defaults to approval for the project to move forward.
The newly proposed Chapter 12.21 of the City Municipal Code, “Wireless Telecommunications Facilities, Regulating Wireless Installations in the Public Right-Of-Way,” encompasses regulations for these projects.
Included are standards of aesthetic appearance, allowance for commu- nity comment on projects suggested for residential areas, guidelines for application and review processes for new facilities, and insurance that right-of-way will not be impeded upon.
Technically, there are no current proposals for new facilities, but there has been outreach by major telecommunications providers expressing interest in filing.
Councilmember Hansen noted the Municipal Code Amendment to be a “placeholder” ordinance that gives the City leeway to amend protocol as needed on a project-by-project basis.
Wilson did request that, if further action regarding telecommunications is to be taken, the acronym used to reference wireless telecommunication facilities be amended to avoid association with a socially inappropriate piece of slang.
Municipal equality index rating
The City of Signal Hill has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign to maintain an environment that is both safe and accessible to residents in the LGBT+ community.
HRC surveyed the City for the 2015 calendar year, and after discussion with City representatives and non-City affiliated surveyors, awarded Signal Hill a 96 out of 100 rating for equality.
Park renovation contract
Signal Hill received a number of bids for the Signal Hill Park Play Area Surface Replacement Project on Oct. 27, 2015, and suggested during the Jan. 26 meeting that a contract be awarded to Unlimited Engineering Contracting, Inc.
The contract award, along with a financial request for $15,000 to be transferred from the Capital Improvement Reserve Fund to the project budget, was approved without opposition by the council.
The next Signal Hill City Council meeting will be Tuesday., Feb. 9 in Council Chamber, 2175 Cherry Ave.
